Claire is standing in the middle of Gabriel's office, wondering where he is. She gazes at the clock. It's weird that he's late. It was him who set their time of arrival, for a full pep talk regarding Michelle's upcoming shitstorm. But now he's not here, and she wonders why.
She hears voices outside the office. People greeting someone cheerfully. Before she could move, the door opens. It's Michelle, wearing a rather simple navy blue knit-sheath dress. Michelle smiles, and for a split-second, Claire is confused—isn't Michelle supposed to hate her? Then she quickly realizes she's not Claire Monteverde in this context, but Bella, the trusty new executive assistant.
Michelle looks around the room. "Gab's not in, yet?"
"Uhh, yeah, I think so. He's supposed to be here early. I…"
"He didn't leave a message? He didn't call?"
"He did—" He did call me while I was in the Jacuzzi, is what Claire is about to say, but she catches her mouth on time. "He didn't, actually."
